Amplifying Midwestern Creativity
Arts Midwest supports, informs, and celebrates arts organizations and creative communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond.
Joyful, loud, and Midwest proud
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November 25, 2024
Teens in Wisconsin Justice System Collaborate with Artists on Murals
By Kate Mothes
Madison Public Library’s Making Justice program has facilitated over 20 murals with help from empowered, inspired teens.
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This School’s Student Population is 230 … Plus a Chicken Flock
November 21, 2024
Students and staff at a rural Indiana school grow and harvest produce, and serve it up for lunch.
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Game Time: Reviving the Ojibwe Way with Dice and Cards
November 19, 2024
Minnesota-based Nashke Native Games is breathing new life into dying languages, in the classroom and beyond.
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Fargo DIY Art Space for ‘Little Stinkers’ Started with Just $50
November 14, 2024
A “community voice of art,” Parachigo is approaching its second year as a sober, affordable and all ages space. Its only rule: Parade equality.
Grant Opportunities and Programs
We support efforts that connect people, ideas, and solutions through creativity. Learn more about our grantmaking initiatives and our community programming.
NEA Big Read Grants
This community-wide reading program offers matching grants of up to $20,000 for programming that uses the theme of “Our Nature” as inspiration.
Learn More and Apply
Shakespeare in American Communities Grants
Shakespeare in American Communities provides grants of up to $30,000 that connect young people across the country to Shakespeare’s plays. Grants support performances and workshops in schools and in the justice system, and apprenticeships for early-career theater professionals.
Learn More and Apply
Announcing the 2024 Midwest Culture Bearers Awardees
Nine culture bearers from across the region have received $5,000 each through the new award celebrating artisans and folk arts practitioners whose work is rooted in cultural preservation and sharing knowledge with the next generation.
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Is Anybody Out There? Tips for Reaching Rural Audiences
Rural areas offer both unique opportunities and challenges when it comes to reaching people. Discover how Detroit Lakes, Minnesota became home to the world’s largest exhibition of Thomas Dambo’s trolls by engaging local audiences.
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